In the evening, the teenager stepped out of her room to use the bathroom and prepare for bed. At the threshold, Jin caught her off guard. Without warning, he seized her hand and yanked her into the hallway. His grip was unyielding, his presence pressing against her as he positioned her against the cold wall. His gaze bore into hers with such intensity that it felt as though he were trying to extract some hidden truth from her very soul.
"Your games aren't funny anymore, Hannah," he said through clenched teeth. His voice trembled—not from fear, but from the effort of holding himself back. This kind of aggression didn't suit him, yet the slow erosion of his patience had brought him to the edge. He could no longer contain himself. He wanted to tear the answers out of her, no matter how violently, as her behavior grew more erratic by the day.
"Don't start…" she murmured.
"Don't start?!" His voice erupted, echoing down the corridor. Hannah's eyes widened in shock. A few girls, passing by, slowed their steps and discreetly lingered, their curiosity sharpened by the scent of scandal.
"Stop playing around. Just tell me what you're trying to do," he demanded.
On her toes, Hannah leaned forward and, without warning, pressed her lips to his.
"It's me, Danielle," she whispered with a charming, almost triumphant smile. "Danielle—the girl you love more than life. Didn't you always say that?"
Her words shattered something inside him. His expression faltered. He released her as though her skin had burned him and staggered back three steps.
"What are you doing?" His voice had lost all strength. His eyes stayed locked on her, searching for a trace of reason. "What's going on with you?"
The whisper of gossip passed through the small crowd like wind through dry grass. In a matter of moments, word of the encounter rippled through the boarding school. From the far end of the hall, curious boys began to drift toward the second floor.
"Why are you angry with me all the time?" Hannah asked, her voice laced with wounded innocence. "Aren't you happy that I came back to you? Would it be better if I kept pretending I don't know you?"
Jin leaned his back against the opposite wall. His face was taut, resignation etched into the lines around his mouth. He was close to unraveling completely. He no longer knew what to think—or believe.
"Then explain to me," he said coldly, "how you got the scar under your ear."
The sixteen-year-old girl lifted her fingers to the spot, brushing it lightly, but offered no reply. The silence between them deepened.
She pressed herself against the wall, insisting again and again that she only wanted the best for him, that she wanted to make him happy. But her words slid off him like water off stone. He didn't believe her—not for a moment.
Her voice broke into sobs, and something inside Jin snapped.
"Danielle is dead!" he shouted. "In June, she died in a car accident!"
His breathing turned ragged. He stared at her, seeing that she was suffering too, and an ache tugged at him—but it was tangled in fury, grief, and disbelief. Slowly, without breaking eye contact, he began to back away.
Then he turned and left.
Students stepped aside as the caretaker appeared unexpectedly on the second floor, her expression tight with disapproval. She barked orders, sending the gawkers back to their rooms. They obeyed reluctantly, still buzzing with excitement—especially when Joseph emerged from the shadows. His tall frame cut a deliberate path toward Hannah, who stood motionless, shaken.
He took her by the hand with an iron grip and hauled her to her feet. Hannah didn't resist. She didn't even flinch when he shoved her into her room.
Joseph paused at the door, catching the caretaker's stunned glare.
"Joseph Scott!" she barked. "Don't you dare! It's late in the evening and you're going to lock yourself in a room with a student?! Don't you dare!"
He ignored her, slammed the door, and turned the key in the lock. His eyes found Hannah again. She had sunk down onto the bed, her posture small and guarded.
He'd had enough of the performance. If his friend couldn't get the truth out of her, he would.
"Don't you think it's time to drop this act, girl?" His voice was sharp, laced with contempt. "Look at me when I speak to you. Show some respect."
She raised her head, meeting his gaze with sorrowful eyes.
"There are times," he continued, "when you can't reveal the truth to someone you care about—because you'd rather protect them from the pain. But what do you do when, in that moment, an enemy turns out to be closer than a friend?"
He arched a brow, waiting for her answer.
"I open up to him," she replied softly, "because I know he'll tell me the truth, even if it's the most painful thing I could hear."
"There it is." His arms folded over his chest, and a cynical smile curved his mouth. "Don't think I don't know your situation. I was close to someone who had the same look in their eyes—pain, sadness, longing. You may tease me, but in this situation, I'm the only one who can understand you. So… shall we begin the confessions?"
Looking into his face, Hannah saw no mockery there, only sincerity. For the first time, she wondered—could she really trust him?
*
The next morning proved just as harrowing for everyone. Heated whispers and sharp exchanges rippled through the cafeteria the moment Hannah appeared—walking beside Joseph. The brunet seemed almost entertained by the spectacle. His lips curved into a faintly mocking smirk as his eyes roamed the room, taking in the stunned expressions of the students, each of them looking as though they were silently wondering whether the two of them were plotting some elaborate kind of hell.
Hannah, however, stole a glance at the boy beside her. He didn't notice, too busy surveying the room with the quiet pride of someone who enjoyed holding the center of attention.
The night before, she had realized something unexpected—of all people, it was him she trusted most. Joseph, her enemy, had become her greatest source of support. He understood her in a way no one else could, and though she hated to admit it, he knew her situation far too well.
Suddenly, Joseph's face split into a broad, deliberate grin. Without warning, he draped his arm around her shoulders, claiming her space as his own. Jin's spoon clattered against the table as if the sound had startled him. Across from him, Tom's jaw dropped so wide that Jimmy saw him nearly choke on a mouthful of food. With a frown, Jimmy thumped him lightly on the back of the head, urging him to get a grip.
The cafeteria buzzed with lively discussion, all voices rising in confusion and speculation—except for one person. She sat rigid at a nearby table, her chopsticks snapping down onto her plate with enough force to draw Joseph's attention. Her eyes burned with something colder than simple irritation. She had distrusted Hannah for a long time, and now she wanted answers—answers about whether this girl was the reason Halsey had left the school.
Joseph led Hannah toward a table, and she slid into the seat between him and Jin.
The latter looked shattered."What's going on is some kind of paranoia," he muttered under his breath, his voice strained and uneven. Pushing himself up from the chair, he turned to leave.
But Hannah's hand shot out, fingers curling around his wrist. "Don't go," she pleaded softly.
For a moment, Jin simply stood there, his gaze locked on hers. There was a sadness in his eyes, deep and unspoken, but as the seconds ticked by, it hardened. He remembered—she was playing with him. Without a word, he pulled away and walked off. Hannah's eyes followed him until the door swallowed him from sight. The guilt pressed heavy in her chest. She had wanted to see him happy again, yet all she had done was deepen the hurt.
Tom's eyes narrowed as he studied her from across the table."It's impossible," he said slowly, "that even Joe managed to seduce you. You're definitely not human." His gaze drifted downward to her tray, and his eyes widened at the sight of liver beside the potatoes. "Protect your precious organs," he warned in a trembling voice, then sprang from his chair and bolted from the cafeteria.
The others barely reacted—clearly used to his strange outbursts—while Hannah sat frozen, baffled."What happened to him? Why did he mention organs?" she asked, glancing toward Jimmy. The boy only stifled a laugh, his lips curling into an amused smirk as he recalled the ridiculous conversation in which Tom had decided she must be something other than human.
"You've probably heard this before," Joseph said, speaking around a mouthful of food, "but he has what we call a 4D personality. He lives in his own world."
"In his own world…" Hannah echoed, her lips curling faintly at the edges.
"Yes," Joseph replied, his gaze locked on her. "That's exactly what I mean."
A sudden metallic clang interrupted them—the sound of cutlery being thrown against the counter. A girl strode through the cafeteria, her movements calculated. As she passed their table, her fingertips brushed the back of Joseph's neck. It was subtle, almost invisible to anyone else—except Jimmy, whose eyes widened as realization struck.
She wasn't just anyone.She was Joseph's secret partner.
*
Hannah glanced over her shoulder when someone accosted her in the corridor. She was startled to see Tom's face, the faint gleam of mischief in his eyes, as he tapped her with a toy handle—something he had gotten from Adams, apparently as a mock "safety measure."
"What's going on with you lately?" she asked, her voice carrying both hurt and confusion. "I was sure we'd become friends. You used to tell me, over and over, that I'd be your wife, and now you avoid me like my presence is a nightmare. Why this sudden change?"
Her tone softened, tinged with regret. She missed the easy humor with which he had once greeted her every morning, the way his laughter could cut through the dreariness of boarding school life. "Is it because of my misunderstanding with Jin?"
"How did you seduce Joseph?" Tom narrowed his eyes, studying her as if she were a puzzle. "You've got a demonic personality inside you, don't you?"
"What are you talking about?" She stared at him in disbelief. "First you come up with those Gumiho stories, and now you claim I'm a demon?"
"Then confess what you are!" He began to bounce impatiently on his feet, like a child who couldn't wait to unwrap a secret.
The sight made Hannah laugh. "I assure you, I am a human," she replied, locking eyes with him. "Flesh and blood. Maybe my soul isn't entirely pure, but I'm certainly no demon."
"Do you swear it?"
"On everything." She rolled her eyes, amused by his wild theories. Tom clearly had an entire imaginary world inside his head—but that only made him more remarkable. Having a friend like him was like finding a rare treasure. "Will you stop being suspicious of me now?"
He poked her with a look that was halfway between sulking and doubt, but the moment shifted abruptly when a passing classmate accidentally clipped her in the back with his elbow. Hannah bent over in pain, ready to shout at him—only for Tom to beat her to it.
"You dared to hit my wife!"
Before Hannah could react, she hurled the toy handle straight at the boy's head. The sixteen-year-old rubbed his forehead and looked at Tom with a sheepish, apologetic expression.
"I didn't do it on purpose…"
"Then next time," Tom snapped, "don't go bounding down the hall like a wild orangutan!"
Hannah blinked rapidly. She had never seen this fierce, protective side of him, not once in all her time at the boarding school.
The building was already locked up for the night when, much later, Hannah made her way down to the first floor. She settled on the windowsill, her legs swinging idly as she waited for an older student to arrive at their agreed meeting place. The quiet pressed around her, and she still couldn't fathom how her so-called enemy had understood her better than those she considered close. All he had needed was a glance into her eyes to uncover the truth she hid so carefully.
"Since yesterday, I've been wondering if I might be possessed," she muttered as she descended the final steps. "I don't know what's happening to me, putting on such an act… Jin was right—this is turning into paranoia."
"Aren't you doing this because you think I'm exactly like her?" The voice came from the shadows. "Don't I have her look?"
"It's been disturbing me since the very beginning," Joseph admitted, stepping into the dim light. He leaned casually against the sill beside her, his posture deceptively relaxed. "That's why you caught my attention, satanic girl. The fact that I see her in you—that's the only reason I want to help."
Hannah kicked her feet with a faint, almost playful rhythm, ignoring the way his eyes followed her movements. Once, the mere sight of him had filled her with dread, but after their conversation the night before, she felt strangely at ease in his presence. Maybe it was because he knew her secret now.
"This Halsey…" she began, only to notice the faint shadow that crossed his face. He pouted slightly, silent until she finished. "I heard she was your first love. She lived in my room, but… she went crazy…"
"That's just a silly rumor," he interrupted, though his voice was heavy. "She didn't go crazy. She left school on her own." A flicker of pain twisted his features—proof enough that he still thought about her, still missed her, no matter how much time had passed.
"She was tormented by someone, wasn't she? Is it connected to that room?"
"Yes and no," he muttered, his gaze fixed on the darkness outside. "For a long time I took revenge on the students. I blamed them for her leaving me. I was wrong."
"You're opening up to me?"
His eyes darted to her face, eyebrows lifting at her surprised expression.
"Close those duck lips," he said flatly.
She huffed, folding her arms and glaring at him like a sulky child.
"Halsey was intimidated out of jealousy," he continued, his eyes locking with hers. "And do you know why someone went after you from the very beginning? Because you took her room. She wanted you to move. Later… it turned into jealousy."
"Jealousy?" Hannah stared at him, bewildered. From the start, he had been her enemy—none of this made sense. "How do you know all of this?"
"Do you think anything in this building can hide from me?" His lips curled into a faint smile. "I know every secret here. I discovered yours easily enough. I've got a hook on you, so you'd better make sure you take a good spot in the exams. The podium must be yours—our bet still stands. You remember that, don't you?"
Her teeth grazed her nail as a shiver of unease passed through her. Was he serious? Would he really reveal her secret if she lost? Joseph could be cruel, yes—but in the last two nights she had seen glimpses of something else, something softer. Beneath the monster's mask was a boy who could be… almost kind.